The William McKinley School is located in the lower Eastern North portion of Philadelphia.
The school’s mission is to inspire children to be responsible, independent, life-long learners, and productive citizens. TBS is partnering with Local Initiative Sustainable Corporation (LISC) and Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha for Everyone (APM) to support the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) Quality of Life Plan in Eastern North Philadelphia, completed in 2011.
Our project for the William McKinley Schoolyard, Creative Agent for Social Change, has included taking the Community Design Collaborative Concept Plan to schematic design and also to develop a series of small actionable and measurable tactics representing the first phase of schoolyard redevelopment. The goal of these improvements is to leverage and expand the momentum garnered with parents, students and community organizations during last Spring’s schoolyard community engagement project.
The event was captured perfectly by landscape architect, Lessanne Waller:
“It is a warm, sunny day in northern Philadelphia. Students at William McKinley Elementary School stream from the doors at noon for an early release. This isn’t the final day of school and these students aren’t rushing toward a long, hot summer before them. They are heading straight for their schoolyard, joined by their parents, teachers, and community members – over 250 people coming together to celebrate. Local restaurants provide hot, soft pretzels, fresh vegetables, and authentic Puerto Rican food. People eat food, visit with one another, and watch the children play basketball, dance or create chalk drawings on the pavement. It truly is a community celebration.”